Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
RV Trip Planning Discussions

Go Back   iRV2 Forums > REGIONAL CHAPTERS, CAMPOUTS & RALLIES > Canada Region
Click Here to Login
Join iRV2 Today

Mission Statement: Supporting thoughtful exchange of knowledge, values and experience among RV enthusiasts.
Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 10-28-2016, 10:15 AM   #1
Member
 
Jayco Owners Club
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 60
Unhappy To Winterize or Not-Winterize Before Heading South

We are considering our first snowbird trip to Arizona and live in an area in BC where it rarely goes below zero all winter long. Leaving likely in early December.

We can't decide whether we should winterize the trailer before we go down. We need to stay in the unit for the drive and it seems it would be a bit tricky to have no water the entire 5 days drive!

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thx!
ykcamom is offline   Reply With Quote
Join the #1 RV Forum Today - It's Totally Free!

iRV2.com RV Community - Are you about to start a new improvement on your RV or need some help with some maintenance? Do you need advice on what products to buy? Or maybe you can give others some advice? No matter where you fit in you'll find that iRV2 is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!

You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with other RV owners, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create an RV blog, send private messages and so much, much more!

Old 10-28-2016, 10:32 AM   #2
Senior Member
 
96 Wideglide's Avatar
 
Holiday Rambler Owners Club
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 9,723
If you do decide to winterize your water system, just carry jugs of bottled water for drinking, and a few jugs of plumbers antifreeze, for flushing the toilet, while your traveling.
__________________
Ben & Sharon
2008 43' Holiday Rambler Scepter PDQ
96 Wideglide is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-28-2016, 12:10 PM   #3
Member
 
Jayco Owners Club
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 60
Quote:
Originally Posted by 96 Wideglide View Post
If you do decide to winterize your water system, just carry jugs of bottled water for drinking, and a few jugs of plumbers antifreeze, for flushing the toilet, while your traveling.
Thanks for the tip. So the umm, you know what, can stay in the holding tank with the plumbers antifreeze until you get to the final spot and hook up the black water drain? I guess one just keeps meals simple to avoid dishes that would require cleaning? Or eat out? (I'm sorry if these are stupid questions...)
ykcamom is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-28-2016, 08:46 PM   #4
Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 68
Check the weather forecast for your route. I go from Victoria BC to S. Call each February, down I-5, and have not seen freezing temps that caused problems.

If you have heat on, you are probably OK. At bedtime I shut off water to unit, drain hose and store if it is predicted to go below freezing. I have an incandescent trouble light in the wet bay, but never needed to use it. Which route are you taking? There are threads here in the forum on winter camping that have good tips.


2009 Fleetwood Southwind
__________________
Celerator (Joe)
'09 Fleetwood Southwind 32VS
Victoria, BC Canada
Celerator is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-28-2016, 09:25 PM   #5
Member
 
Jayco Owners Club
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 60
Quote:
Originally Posted by Celerator View Post
Check the weather forecast for your route. I go from Victoria BC to S. Call each February, down I-5, and have not seen freezing temps that caused problems.

If you have heat on, you are probably OK. At bedtime I shut off water to unit, drain hose and store if it is predicted to go below freezing. I have an incandescent trouble light in the wet bay, but never needed to use it. Which route are you taking? There are threads here in the forum on winter camping that have good tips.


2009 Fleetwood Southwind
Thanks. I think we will be taking the I5 most of the way down going to Seven Feathers in Canyonville, then Corning, CA, then Rosedale (Orange Grove Casino RV park near Bakersfield), then on into Yuma, if we can get there in one day.
ykcamom is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-28-2016, 09:30 PM   #6
Senior Member
 
96 Wideglide's Avatar
 
Holiday Rambler Owners Club
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 9,723
Quote:
Originally Posted by ykcamom View Post
Thanks for the tip. So the umm, you know what, can stay in the holding tank with the plumbers antifreeze until you get to the final spot and hook up the black water drain? I guess one just keeps meals simple to avoid dishes that would require cleaning? Or eat out? (I'm sorry if these are stupid questions...)
Correct on all
__________________
Ben & Sharon
2008 43' Holiday Rambler Scepter PDQ
96 Wideglide is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-29-2016, 04:51 AM   #7
Senior Member
 
Ron_H's Avatar
 
Newmar Owners Club
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: White Rock, BC
Posts: 782
This is one of those posts where it would be helpful if the OP had their RV and location information in their signature.

Based upon the "an area in BC where it rarely goes below zero all winter long" I assume you are from Vancouver Island or the Vancouver lower mainland area so going down I-5 or the Oregon coast are viable routes. If you're from further east, where it freezes more often, then you would have to take other routes.

You're described routes don't get below freezing often in early December though we've had freezing temps some years when heading south in January. For us, freezing temps are not a big deal as your coach basement is heated, our holding tanks have heating pads and none of our water lines are exposed. We de-winterize as soon as we start our trip and all is good even with temps well below freezing. If you have exposed water lines (fresh or holding) then you have to compensate for those. The suggestions of carrying fresh water for drinking and some RV antifreeze for flushing are good. If you need to eat in the RV then paper plates and bowls help make that easier to manage. Once you reach Redding, CA you should be fine for weather even if it's colder further north.

There is also the option of taking the Oregon coast route, which is always warmer, but considerably longer and slower as we.
__________________
Retired and livin' the RV dream!
2005 Newmar 43 ft. MADP, Cummins ISL 400HP, 2018 Jeep Wrangler JLU Sahara
Ron_H is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-29-2016, 07:48 AM   #8
Registered User
 
Polyian's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Victoria, BC
Posts: 848
Quote:
Originally Posted by ykcamom View Post
Thanks. I think we will be taking the I5 most of the way down going to Seven Feathers in Canyonville, then Corning, CA, then Rosedale (Orange Grove Casino RV park near Bakersfield), then on into Yuma, if we can get there in one day.
Corning to Bakersfield is doable in a long day but we split it up...Santa Nella is a popular mid point (check out Andersons Pea Soup)

Same thing for Bakersfield to Yuma...We like to arrive early afternoon not after dark. There are a couple of Casinos in Indio that allow overnight parking for RV's.

Keep in mind that towing on the I5 in California is limited to 55 MPH.
Polyian is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-29-2016, 09:08 AM   #9
Member
 
Jayco Owners Club
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 60
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ron_H View Post
This is one of those posts where it would be helpful if the OP had their RV and location information in their signature.

Based upon the "an area in BC where it rarely goes below zero all winter long" I assume you are from Vancouver Island or the Vancouver lower mainland area so going down I-5 or the Oregon coast are viable routes. If you're from further east, where it freezes more often, then you would have to take other routes.

You're described routes don't get below freezing often in early December though we've had freezing temps some years when heading south in January. For us, freezing temps are not a big deal as your coach basement is heated, our holding tanks have heating pads and none of our water lines are exposed. We de-winterize as soon as we start our trip and all is good even with temps well below freezing. If you have exposed water lines (fresh or holding) then you have to compensate for those. The suggestions of carrying fresh water for drinking and some RV antifreeze for flushing are good. If you need to eat in the RV then paper plates and bowls help make that easier to manage. Once you reach Redding, CA you should be fine for weather even if it's colder further north.

There is also the option of taking the Oregon coast route, which is always warmer, but considerably longer and slower as we.
Thanks for your reply. We live in the Fraser Valley.

We will be heading out in early December. Interesting idea to dewinterize right before leaving. Our trailer is fully sealed on the bottom so the tanks and lines are all enclosed.
ykcamom is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-29-2016, 09:14 AM   #10
Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 68
Quote:
Originally Posted by ykcamom View Post
Thanks. I think we will be taking the I5 most of the way down going to Seven Feathers in Canyonville, then Corning, CA, then Rosedale (Orange Grove Casino RV park near Bakersfield), then on into Yuma, if we can get there in one day.
We typically take a similar route. After taking the ferry to the Tsawassen, we make it to Centralia, WA for the first night, then Seven Feathers. Our next stop is Durango RV Park in Red Bluff (nice park and walking distance to shopping and Verizon store to set up our US cell phone). We stay there two nights. I stop worrying about freezing. Our next stop is Kit Fox RV Park in Patterson, CA. It is just off I-5. Small park, nothing fancy, but walking distance to several restaurants. Our next stop is Bakersfield RV for two nights (a short walk to Camping World), and then head to Indio (Outdoor Resort Indio) for a month. We prefer to break up the travel into shorter days, stop early, and relax. If the weather is looking like snow for the Oregon to Norther California area, we have the slower but much more scenic alternate route down the coast.
__________________
Celerator (Joe)
'09 Fleetwood Southwind 32VS
Victoria, BC Canada
Celerator is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-29-2016, 10:07 AM   #11
Member
 
Jayco Owners Club
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 60
Quote:
Originally Posted by Celerator View Post
We typically take a similar route. After taking the ferry to the Tsawassen, we make it to Centralia, WA for the first night, then Seven Feathers. Our next stop is Durango RV Park in Red Bluff (nice park and walking distance to shopping and Verizon store to set up our US cell phone). We stay there two nights. I stop worrying about freezing. Our next stop is Kit Fox RV Park in Patterson, CA. It is just off I-5. Small park, nothing fancy, but walking distance to several restaurants. Our next stop is Bakersfield RV for two nights (a short walk to Camping World), and then head to Indio (Outdoor Resort Indio) for a month. We prefer to break up the travel into shorter days, stop early, and relax. If the weather is looking like snow for the Oregon to Norther California area, we have the slower but much more scenic alternate route down the coast.
Thanks! Do you reserve the parks for the route down or just wing it? With someone else suggesting a stop in Indio between Bakersfield and Yuma, I saw the Outdoor Resort in Indio had great ratings. A little pricey for one night, tho. I think it was $63 for one night. Having said that, if we are tired and cranky and ready to relax, it may very well be worth it! LOL
ykcamom is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-30-2016, 02:09 AM   #12
Senior Member
 
Ron_H's Avatar
 
Newmar Owners Club
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: White Rock, BC
Posts: 782
Quote:
Originally Posted by ykcamom View Post
Thanks for your reply. We live in the Fraser Valley.

We will be heading out in early December. Interesting idea to dewinterize right before leaving. Our trailer is fully sealed on the bottom so the tanks and lines are all enclosed.
Check the weather forecast ahead of time and as long as there are no bad weather fronts heading toward I-5 between the border and Cali, you should be good to go.

Don't try to do too many miles per day. If you are snowbirding, there is no big rush. We try to travel by the 2-30 travel philosophy. We try to park for the day after 230 miles or at about 2:30 in the afternoon, whichever comes first.

We only make reservations a day ahead for most places so we still have maximum flexibility. The exception to this might be Seven Feathers and possibly Orange Grove as they are popular locations for others heading south.
__________________
Retired and livin' the RV dream!
2005 Newmar 43 ft. MADP, Cummins ISL 400HP, 2018 Jeep Wrangler JLU Sahara
Ron_H is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-30-2016, 08:08 AM   #13
Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 68
Quote:
Originally Posted by ykcamom View Post
Thanks! Do you reserve the parks for the route down or just wing it? With someone else suggesting a stop in Indio between Bakersfield and Yuma, I saw the Outdoor Resort in Indio had great ratings. A little pricey for one night, tho. I think it was $63 for one night. Having said that, if we are tired and cranky and ready to relax, it may very well be worth it! LOL
We have sometimes reserved and sometimes not. This year we have reservations all the way down. The Kit Fox park is small and fills up. By the way, Outdoor Resort Indio is Class A only. There are many other parks in the general area. Happy travels.


2009 Fleetwood Southwind
__________________
Celerator (Joe)
'09 Fleetwood Southwind 32VS
Victoria, BC Canada
Celerator is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-30-2016, 08:42 AM   #14
Registered User
 
Polyian's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Victoria, BC
Posts: 848
Quote:
Originally Posted by ykcamom View Post
Thanks for your reply. We live in the Fraser Valley.

We will be heading out in early December. Interesting idea to dewinterize right before leaving. Our trailer is fully sealed on the bottom so the tanks and lines are all enclosed.
Unless you keep the trailer warm you might have issues. Motor homes stay warm while driving. If it gets real cold you might have to run you trailer furnace.
Polyian is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
winter



Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Winterize Before Hitting The Alcan To Alaska? Chris Travels Navigation, Routes & Roads 1 04-16-2015 04:46 AM
What do you do to your SB before heading out? johno97007 Full-Timers 6 07-25-2013 07:11 PM
winterize / not winterize mjwest Class A Motorhome Discussions 12 12-01-2011 10:45 AM
Winterize before my Christmas trip to Florida? decodancer RV Systems & Appliances 11 11-04-2010 03:45 PM
To Winterize OR Not Winterize DCTENT Monaco Owner's Forum 4 10-28-2008 11:45 AM

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 04:39 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.